"It's a great day, Lance wanted this stage badly. It was a hard course," said Armstrong's manager Johan Bruyneel Ullrich, who was fourth overall before the start, leafrogged Michael Rasmussen to third place and looks set for a seventh podium finish in the world's most popular stage race.

Dane Rasmussen, the holder of the polka dot jersey for mountain specialists, had a nightmarish stage, suffering two falls and changing his bike three times. He dropped to seventh overall after finishing 77th, more than seven minutes behind Armstrong. Italian Ivan Basso, who came home in fifth, retained his second place in the overall standings.

Sunday's final stage will take the pack over 144.5 km from Corbeil-Essonnes to Paris.

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